The present invention generally relates to pool cues. More particularly, the present invention relates to a folding pool cue.
A cue stick used for playing table games such as pool, billiards and the like is a single piece stick that tapers from a butt end to an operative end for striking a cue ball. For players who enjoy using their own cue stick wherever they play, bringing a single piece cue stick from place to place is problematical as the relatively long stick could be difficult to place in a vehicle trunk or passenger space without incurring damage to the cue stick during placement within the vehicle or from jarring during travel. To this end, some players use a two piece cue stick having an operative end shaft portion and a butt end shaft portion which are assembled together for use or disassembled for transportation between locations. These two portions of the cue stick are mated together by a threaded female bore in one of the portions that engages a male threaded rod in the other portion. The two portions are screwed together until the ends of the portions contact each other.
The two piece cue stick has been gaining popularity with serious players. Some have recognized the desirability of providing a quick and easy way to connect the two pieces of the cue stick together. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,890,966 discloses a quick coupling cue stick. It is believed, however, that such a cue stick is inefficient in assembly as the two independent parts of the cue stick must first be aligned before they can be joined.
Accordingly, there is a need for a multi-piece cue stick which provides easy disassembly for travel/storage and easy reassembly for use. There is a further need for a multi-piece cue stick which automatically aligns during assembly for use. There is an additional need for a multi-piece cue stick foldable between storage and use configurations. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides other related advantages.